When Stars Fall
by Tsukikage
Summary: AU, just putting my own spin on things. Diamond has been executed, but not before setting his plan in motion. Now Serenity's disappeared...
1. Star known as Serenity

Disclaimer: Naoko's playground, I just sneak in to play on the slide.  
  
Feedback: Is full of feedback-y goodness that must comprise at least 50% of  
your daily fan intake…  
  
  
Thud, Thud, Thud…..  
  
The horses hooves beat mercilessly on the cold dry earth of the forest floor  
pounding the hard track to leave a cloud of dust in it's wake. The riders  
hood was pulled close over his face and the rider's body was leaned forward  
and low, almost lying over the horse's neck. Despite the horses foaming  
mouth and the sweat streaking down it's side the rider kept whipping at it  
with the crop gripped tightly in his left hand. Together they made a picture  
of desperation, each step taken as though life depended on it.  
  
Which it did.  
  
The hood fell back. The mans face could have been handsome, another time  
another place, had his silver hair been clean and combed, had his strong  
figure and proudly arched face not been trembling and marred by scratches, a  
departure gift from what seemed like hundreds of sharp leafless twigs and  
branches.  
  
And oh yes, if he wasn't a murderer who had tried to massacre an innocent  
race to achieve his own ends.  
  
The former self-crowned 'Prince' Diamond swore under his breath, the Earth  
prince and his guards were still behind him and getting closer every moment.  
  
He dug the sharp metal at his heels cruelly into the horse's side and hit it  
again but the horse had been pushed too hard for too long, it fell, sending  
Diamond flying across the ground to slide painfully to a stop in the stones  
and the mast. The black moon pendant, a parody of the white moon royal seal,  
snapped off the chain and rolled into the darkness.  
  
Prince Diamond lay sprawled where he had landed, stunned, blood welling  
sluggishly from a cut on his forehead. It was at that moment that he knew it  
was over. Even as he thought it, the five men pursuing him ground to a stop  
on his left side, and a man with hair of a white-silver hue so like his own  
seized his arms from behind, his grip harsh and unyielding. He wouldn't have  
tried to fight anyway, he was staring into the middle distance watching the  
dreams that only he could see crumble to ash on the wind.  
  
His mind returned to the now, and the dimly heard words of the dark haired  
prince were forced into sickening clarity  
  
"You, criminal Diamond, born Cuprite of Black moon have been found guilty on  
the two counts of treason and of attempted genocide, the punishment for this  
is death".  
  
There was to be no trial, in cases like this they were jury, judge and  
executioner, his guilt was beyond dispute.  
  
Still…  
  
Just because he had been caught didn't mean that the first part of his plan  
would be stopped, he had put it into action before the alarm had been  
sounded. His captor's face changed from hostile to wary at the gleeful  
expression Diamond had unconsciously displayed.  
  
"The sentence is to be carried out immediately".  
  
He was forced down to his knees, as a traitor he was entitled to no better,  
and from experience they knew not to try and lock him away to await a formal  
execution.  
  
"Have you any last words?", that at least they would allow him.  
  
He looked into the prince's face, Diamonds cold, cold eyes burned with  
malice that strengthened him, if only for a moment.  
  
"Yes 'your Highness'" the words mocked him "You've caught me but my plan has  
already started, the wheels of fate already turn to my will. I may not  
destroy your kingdom, but I have already done enough to crush you, heart and  
soul."  
  
The prince's eyes were disgusted, but there was a flash of something else in  
those blue orbs, fear? It was masked in an instant but Diamond knew the  
prince understood his meaning.  
  
"Yesssss…." The words were breathed like a serpent sliding through his lips,  
and for a second Diamond triumphed.  
  
"Kill him" a flat order from one of the guards.  
  
The sword swung towards his neck and he couldn't keep silent.  
  
The man that was Diamond screamed.  
  
And the star known as Serenity fell. 


	2. Pleasure to meet you

Disclaimer: Naoko's playground, I just sneak in to play on the slide.  
  
Feedback: Is full of feedback-y goodness…  
  
Dedicated to Tricia, for originally writing me feedback on the first part.  
  
****memories****  
::thoughts::  
  
Darien, crown prince of Earth, sat in his room, brooding. Diamond's body had  
been burned and at dawn Darien had personally scattered his ashes to the  
four winds of traitors tor. It was supposedly the spot where Beryl, powered  
by Metallica, had left Earth over five hundred years ago to confront the  
young queen Serenity the First, who had only just come to power. After that  
attack the two civilisations entered a period known only on Earth as 'The  
Black Era' a period where communication between the moon and Earth was  
forbidden and knowledge of the Lunar race was on the whole, worn down to  
nothing more then myth and folklore. With only a select few knowing the  
truth.  
  
These select few comprised primarily of the royal family, but even then the  
information was carefully guarded. Darien himself hadn't known until his  
eighteenth birthday, and then he didn't believe it. As a child he had  
scoffed at stories of the moon people with his friends.  
  
He remembered that night vividly. When his parents had told him he had  
laughed, he had actually laughed at the thought of life on the moon, so  
secure was he in the knowledge that Earth was the only planet with life.  
  
And then his mother's guests had arrived.  
  
**** "Mother, I love you, but you cannot seriously expect me to believe in  
those childish fairy tales about the moon?!?"  
  
Darien had just been informed of the truth about the heritage of the moon.  
He was…. less then receptive to the idea than their royal majesties the King  
and Queen of Earth would have hoped. Then again, it had been ingrained to  
the population for years that theirs was the only planet with life for  
security reasons. To give the moon and the other planets that had tried to  
defend the star allegiance treaty, a chance to peacefully rebuild and  
recuperate the losses they had suffered all those years ago, it was the work  
of generations.  
  
His mother smiled at him and he was instantly wary. It was the reaction to a  
closely observed trait that never failed to cause his survival instincts to  
start screaming for retreat. It was the patented Queen Iris '  
I-know-something-and-you-can't-do-anything-about-it' smile. It never failed  
to leave a sinking feeling in his stomach. There was a knock on the door and  
at the queens bidding a young – decided nervous looking – page entered with  
a message.  
  
"Your visitors are here Your Majesty"  
  
"Thank you, show them in please"  
  
Darien's sinking feeling got worse.  
  
Two figures entered the room and Darien's jaw dropped****  
  
He smiled slightly, his mother had run to embrace the elder of the two, a  
woman who could only be Queen Serenity I. She was beautiful, with silver  
hair and large grey eye's, but it was her companion, a younger girl, that  
had caused him to freeze.  
  
****To call her beautiful would have been an understatement. She had  
impossibly long golden hair, an inheritance from her father, the Sun King,  
if Darien recalled the stories correctly. It also had a silvery sheen to it  
that could only have come from the woman standing next to her, the relation  
to each other was obvious.  
  
The moon princess.  
  
He realised eventually that they were staring at him, and attempted to pull  
himself at least partially from the stupor he was in. His mother was still  
beaming at the woman.  
  
"Darien, let me introduce Queen Serenity I, ruler of the moon, and her  
daughter, Princess Serenity II"  
  
A moment passed.  
  
And another.  
  
"Darien?" his mother pressed, "aren't you going to say something?"  
  
::Here's your chance:: his mind told him ::something witty, impressive…::  
  
"Huh?"  
  
::That preferably at least resembles a sentence!:: His mind finished, then  
turned away disgusted, muttering.  
  
::Wait! You can't leave!::  
  
"Darien!" his mother exclaimed exasperated.  
  
::Uh oh:: Darien abandoned his internal conflict for the time being and  
focused his attention to the events around him. He stepped forward and gave  
a bow, first to the queen and then to the princess. He straightened, eyes  
meeting the princess' "Pleasure to meet you your highness"  
  
"Please, call me Serena" she smiled and curtseyed low, "The pleasures all  
mine your highness"  
  
"If I am to call you Serena then it must be Darien" he smiled back at her.  
  
They were concentrating on each other so fully that neither of them noticed  
the knowing looks that passed between their parents.  
  
-- 


	3. Report

O.k., I know I said I wouldn't have another part out for a while but I had  
some free time (well, actually I had some work I didn't want to do :)) so  
here's the next part, but I seriously won't have anything for ages after  
this.  
  
Disclaimer: Not my playground, I just sneak in to play on the slide.  
  
When Star's Fall Chapter 3  
  
The King and his ministers were already assembled when Darien strode through  
the double doors of the meeting place.  
  
"Son"  
  
The King nodded towards one of the remaining empty seats, his calm manner a  
sharp contrast to that of his disheveled offspring. Darien sat, retaining  
the murderous gleam around him. He wanted to pace and rant but there was  
something about King Galen, a quiet power that only a blind person could  
miss and only a fool would challenge.  
  
"I am assuming from your rather…abrupt entrance, that you have heard about  
Serenity"  
  
It was a statement, not a question.  
  
::Gee… what gave it away:: he thought sarcastically. "Yes" he replied, and  
then quickly "Father what's going on? Do we have any idea's as to Serenity's  
whereabouts?" He knew he shouldn't openly question his father in front of  
the council but he was feeling rather uncharitable at that particular  
moment.  
  
"We have no information on Serenity yet, BUT-" the king stressed, seeing  
that Darien was about to interrupt again "-BUT, the Sailor Soldiers have not  
yet arrived, they may know more then us"  
  
::The Sailor Soldiers?:: Darien thought, noticing for the first time the  
empty places around him. ::Eight places:: he silently counted.  
  
"Eight places" he said aloud. "There are only four inners, does that mean-"  
  
"Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto will also be joining us" he king finished  
for him.  
  
That was a surprise; the outers were very rarely seen, even on their own  
planets.  
  
Darien opened his mouth to ask another question, but was waved away by the  
king.  
  
"Questions later when they arrive boy" he elaborated the gesture. Looking  
him in the eyes he softened just a little "I know you're worried but we have  
other things to consider in this situation"  
  
Darien blushed mentally, though thankfully had the control to keep it from  
showing on his face, at the gentle reprimand. A king – or in his case future  
king – must consider the good of his people before his own personal  
feelings. Hew resolved himself to listen to the council, he mustn't forget  
his duty, even, or maybe especially, in this situation.  
  
"Of course" he conceded, calmer by far then when he had walked in.  
  
An almost inaudible sigh of relief arose from the people surrounding the two  
royals, Prince Darien was well know for his… strong feelings relating to any  
situation involving the moon princess.  
  
The king turned to his council and uttered a single word.  
  
"Report"  
  
An older gentleman seated near the far end of the room stood and stepped  
forward,  
  
"A panic has arisen in the general population, information about Princess  
Serenity's abduction has been leaked out somehow. Finding out about the Moon  
civilization and the other planets when the Prince and Princess were engaged  
was a difficult enough transition to make, but with the exception of a small  
number of splinter opposition groups, the people accepted it because of the  
stability within the alliance that it would bring. It allowed for a feeling  
of safety. Now with Princess Serenity missing, all is in uproar"  
  
Another council member stood up, a woman this time.  
  
"These splinter groups are gaining support rapidly, with times so uncertain  
the pickings are ripe to prey on the unsure. Most of these groups are small  
and fractious, they can't stop arguing with themselves long enough to begin  
arguing with us. However one group, the Blackmoon cult, have been steadily  
increasing in size, not even the death of their leader Cuprite, more  
commonly known as Diamond, has stopped them. The people need something solid  
to believe in, something we can't provide. Princess Serenity was a  
figurehead that represented a growing friendship with the other planets,  
with her gone, Blackmoon has replaced her with another symbol, this one of  
hatred, and it is just as powerful.  
  
The king took this in, a frown marring his forhead.  
  
"This must be handled delicately" his deep voice rumbled "Has the situation  
gotten so bad so fast?"  
  
One of the members checked their notes while the speakers sat.  
  
"So far, miraculously, no one has been hurt, but a false move at this  
juncture could spell disaster, if they start rioting, short of bringing the  
military to the streets, it will be uncontrollable. A proclamation has been  
sent out to try and allay some of the fears but to little effect"  
  
They all fell into discussion over the best course of action, the deep  
murmur of voices filling the air, when a knock sounded and the doors were  
opened. Eight young women in multi-colored fuku's entered.  
  
The Sailor Soldiers had arrived. 


End file.
